Almost
by Gemkat5
Summary: This is a very short ONESHOT that was taking up space in my head. Sarah becomes an old woman before her time and nobody knows why. Her body is failing, and her mind isn’t far behind. How could I possibly make this a happy ending? Read and find out.


Disclaimer: the only thing I claim to own is the insane idea that formed this story. Everything else is borrowed.

Summary: This is a very short ONESHOT that was taking up space in my head. Sarah becomes an old woman before her time and nobody knows why. Her body is failing, and her mind isn't far behind. How could I possibly make this a happy ending? Read and find out.

**Almost**

Sarah sat in her wheelchair by the huge pane glass window, letting the warm rays of the sun take the chill from her brittle bones. She closed her eyes though it didn't matter, she'd lost her eyesight a few weeks back. her wrinkled and thin fingers idly fondled the knit throw that lay upon her withered lap. She often wondered what color it was, and had asked a nurse often enough, but she always forgot so liked to imagine it being a pretty bright color like emerald green or maybe a turquoise blue. Yes, that would be pretty indeed.

The peel of laughter filled the activities room behind her. It was visiting hours and many elderly had family to come and visit, take them for a stroll outside, share news and pictures with them. Sarah wondered what it was like outside, it had been quite a while since she'd had anyone take her for a stroll, that she remembered that is, or for anyone to visit at all for that matter. But that was okay, she didn't remember having a family anyway.

"Sarah."

She smiled in response to hearing her name, turning her face in the direction of the masculine voice. "Is that you, Jareth?" she asked, opening her clouded eyes. "Have you come for me?"

"It's Toby, Sarah," he replied, his voice strained with emotion. He bent down on his hunches and took one of her hands in his, then pressed both of his lips between his teeth when she returned his slight squeeze.

"Toby," she whispered fondly. "I had a brother named Toby."

"Yea, I know,' he replied, trying not to cry. He hated seeing her like this, but hated the thought of her being all alone even more. It just wasn't fair. She was only forty-seven, but in the past eight months her body and characteristics became those of a ninety years old woman, and nobody knew why. "Wh… where is Toby now?" he asked, always being comforted by the wonderful life she always made up for him, when he was actually a pathetic loner with a sucky job and no one in the world to give a damn, except his sister.

"Oh, he's grown now," she answered proudly with a wistful smile on her pale lips. "He's married to a beautiful girl and lives in a big beautiful house in the suburbs." She shifted closer to talk in a lower voice as though telling a secret. "They have a son now," she told him with pent up excitement. "Though, I don't remember his name," she added dejectedly, sinking back in the wheelchair.

"Lance," Toby told her, using the name they had always joked about him naming a son after. "Toby named his son Lance, just for you." He swallowed hard at having to pretend he wasn't even her brother, someone that she spoke so fondly about. But lately, she only remembered him when she thought he wasn't there, and it cut Toby to pieces during times like this.

"Oh, that's right," she sighed dreamily, the turned her blind gaze in his direction. "I almost lost Toby once." She admitted ruefully.

"Yea," Toby chuckled with a smile. "At the park. I… he wandered off while you were reading a book. I remember… you telling me about that."

Sarah laughed suddenly, her entire body shook with her mirth. "That was Karen he wandered from!" Then her laughter subsided to a mild choppy chuckle. "No, I almost lost my brother in the labyrinth."

"The labyrinth?" Toby questioned, never hearing this story before.

"Yes. I wished him away to the goblins, and they took him to their castle, beyond the goblin city. Their king offered me my dreams to forget the baby. He had fallen in love with me, and had given me certain gifts." She bowed her head low, her chin touching her chest. "But, I refused his gifts, and my dreams, to save my brother from the goblins."

She sighed heavily, her eyes lifting towards the sunlight out the window. "I can still picture him in my mind," she whispered longingly. "He was a magnificent, magical being. He looked almost human, was tall and handsome with unruly blonde hair and mystical eyes that looked straight into my soul. He was dynamic and beautiful, and I treated him so poorly when he had tried to give me everything I had ever wanted."

"You're the kindest person I know, Sarah. I'm sure he would forgive you," Toby told her, humoring her with her delusion. He'd never heard her sound so sad while telling one of her stories before, and wondered why this one had touched her so deeply. "Would you like to go outside for a stroll, Sarah?" he asked, hoping to cheer her up.

"Oh, yes, I would like that," she answered readily, her face brightening.

Toby took the brakes off the wheels and carefully maneuvered her through the crowded room, down the hall, and outside to the gardens. She became very quiet, her expression pensive with deep thoughts. After several minutes Toby touched her sun warmed arm.

"Sarah? What are you dreaming?"

"You're really my brother, Toby, aren't you?" she asked matter of factly.

"Yea, that I am."

She smiled then pursed her lips to not cry. "I'm sorry I forget you, Toby. I'm sorry that I almost lost you. But, I'm not sorry for what I'm going to do."

"Sarah, don't talk like that," he stressed, afraid that she might try to hurt herself, or worse.

"Can you take me to a spot where there's no people? Outside somewhere if you can. I have something I have to do before I forget."

With several uneasy feelings coursing through him at once, he escorted her to an isolated area of the garden, leisurely strolling along to the casual observer. "There's no one around here," he told her, putting the brakes on the wheels to keep the chair still. "But there are security cameras."

"They won't matter," she told him quietly. "Toby?"

"Yea, Sarah?"

"Would you hold my hand? I want to make a wish, and I don't want to be alone if it doesn't come true."

"I'm right here," he told her, taking her one hand in both of his. "I'll be here with you till the bitter end, Sis. I won't let you be alone." Toby couldn't stop the tear that rolled down his cheek to stain his shirt.

"I won't let you be alone, either, Toby," she promised, squeezing his hand with waning strength. He choked a sob, bowing his head into the crook of his arm to she didn't hear him cry. "I wish Jareth, King of Goblins had power over me again," she declared in a firm, steady voice.

Toby stared at her with mixed feelings, terrified at what all of this could mean. Then suddenly the sky filled with dark bilious clouds, a cold wind picked up from out of nowhere bringing droplets of rain along with it.

"Let me get you back inside," Toby told her, moving to leave her side.

"No, wait!" she cried out, grasping for his hand as he pulled away. "It's him, Toby, he's coming!" she exclaimed excitedly.

"Sarah, it's just a storm," he told her, feeling bad for having to ruin her dream. "I have to get you back inside."

"Toby, no!" she yelled with urgency, leaning forward in her chair, grasping the arms with her bony hands. "Toby!"

Something clicked at the way she called out to him. Something buried deep inside his mind, the urgency in her voice, the fear in her tone. He backed away from the wheelchair, trying to place why her outcry sounded familiar. As far as he could recall he'd never been in a situation for her to have to call for him like that.

"Jareth, please!" she cried out desperately, tilting her face into the storm. "Please come before it's too late!"

The wind picked up ferociously, whipping around them harshly. Toby threw his arm up to cover his face, turning his head to the side to protect his eyes from dirt and debris in the wind. Then suddenly the winds stopped, and though the clouds rolled overhead, and the rain still spattered slightly, all was silent and calm.

"Jareth?" Sarah called questioningly. "Is that you? Have you come for me?"

Toby lowered his arm from his face, turning his head to look at his sister to find a man, no not a man, a being standing regally in front of Sarah. Toby moved to step closer and confront whoever, or whatever he was when the being shifted his steady gaze from Sarah to Toby.

"Surely you wouldn't deny Sarah her dreams for a second time," Jareth questioned in a flat, even tone.

"Jareth," Sarah whispered with relief, raising her hand out in front of her, leaning forward in search of him, her other hand holding onto the arm of the chair.

Toby stood still, his gaze dropping to watch his sister blindly reach out to this being, this mystical creature that she had spoken about only a short while ago. Jareth lowered his gaze to Sarah, his expression softening as he looked upon her. He reached out his hand and let her find it, clasping her fingers in his as she laughed with elation.

"I didn't think you'd come!"

"Are you ready to return with me, Sarah?" Jareth asked simply.

"Yes!" she answered readily.

He took a firmer grasp of her hand and lifted her arm higher in the air. "Stand up, Sarah."

"Oh," she voiced with regret, her elation wavering. "I haven't been able to do that for such a long time."

"Believe in me, Sarah," Jareth told her patiently. "And you can have all your dreams."

Toby watched as his sister closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The air surrounding her seemed to shimmer, like asphalt on a hot sunny day, and then she opened her clear green eyes to smile up at the man holding her hand. Jareth slowly pulled her to her feet as she leaned her weight on legs that had given out on her months before.

All Toby could do was stand there staring in astonishment as she stepped from the wheelchair and into the waiting embrace of the masculine being before her. It was completely unbelievable. Toby's mind rejected what his eyes were seeing, and yet the proof was right there in front of him.

As Sarah rose from the chair, her wrinkled skin and frail frame transformed back to how she had once appeared. Her flesh filled out all over her body, once again giving her curves and attractiveness. Her skin glowed healthily and her hair turned dark brown, every strand of gray seemingly washed away. And then, there she stood, on strong shapely legs that bore no sign of old age.

Jareth peered down at her, and her up at him, with longing and a mutual understanding for each other. Then Jareth shifted his attention towards Toby, Sarah turned her head to gaze at her brother and smiled lovingly at him. "I wish the Goblin King would take me away," she whispered loud enough for Toby to hear her, resting her head upon Jareth's chest next to his medallion. "Right now."

The winds picked once more, swirling around them fiercely, making Sarah bury her face into the Goblin King's chest.

"And to think," Jareth announced casually, projecting his voice for Toby to hear him clearly. "I had almost given up."

XxXxX

Toby jumped to wakefulness with a sudden start, his arms flailing as he clambered out of his recliner.

"Toby!" his wife called, rushing from the sofa to his side. "What is it? Are you alright?"

He couldn't answer her at first, his beautiful wife of several years. Glancing out through the bay window, he saw his son, Lance, playing in the sandbox with his new toy truck. "Yea," he finally managed to say, taking a couple deep breaths to steady his pounding heart. "I'm fine. Just didn't realize that I dozed off."

"You had that weird dream again, didn't you?" she asked knowingly "The one with your sister calling some magical being?" Toby nodded sheepishly, loving her and hating her at the same time when she was right. "I know you miss her, Toby," she whispered, wrapping her arms around him comfortingly. "But, she's gone, Honey. I'm sorry, but, you have to accept that she's gone."

"I know she is," he responded, returning his wife's embrace, burying his face into the crook of her neck as he breathed a few ragged breaths. He straightened to his full height and looked into his wife's concerned eyes. "I'll be alright," he reassured her with a nod, smiling weakly. "This one was different. In this one he actually came for her." He smiled fully as his eyes watered. "He changed her back to the beautiful woman she used to be, and took her away to his kingdom to happily live forever."

Toby's wife gazed up at him with loving eyes, cupping the side of his face with an understanding hand. "Do you honestly believe that that's what happened to her?"

Toby took a long deep breath, meeting his wife's eyes with his own. "Almost," he replied, smiling sardonically at all the times his sister had used that word to begin one of her fantastic stories.


End file.
